Envelope stuffing machine



May 14, 1935. H. c. BAKER ENVELOPE STUFFING MACHINE Filed Aug. 20, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR HORACE C. BAKER ATTORNEY y 1935. H. c; BAKER 2,001,009

ENVELOPE STUFFING MACHINE Filed Aug. 20, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fug 4.

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' INVENTOR ATTORNEY l Howgc C BA E M y 14, 19350 H. c. BAKER 2,001,009

ENVELOPE STUFFI NG MACHINE Filed Aug. 20, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 (L3 2/ 20 INVENTOR Q20 Hog/ma C AKER FTqf).

y 1935- H. c. BAKER 2,001,009

' ENVELOPE STUFF ING MACHINE Filed Aug. 20, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR Hg \5 HORACE C BAKER m 1 ATTORNE 4' UNITED STA Patented May 14, 1935 ENvELoPE STUFFING MACHINE Horace C. Baker, Green Bay, Wis; assignor to Patten Paper Company, Ltd, Appleton, Wis.

Application August 20, 1931, Serial No. 558,387

machine, and more especially to an automatic envelope stuffing machine. 7 The primary object of the invention is the "provision of a machine of this character, wherein envelopes can be successively in single order brought into position for receiving letter sheets andithe latter stuffed thereinto without requiring the manualhandling of said envelopes, and when these envelopes have been filled orstuffed the same will be stacked on delivery thereof. Another object of theinvention is the provision of a machine of this character, wherein the 'mechanism for the handling of the envelopes is novel in form and likewise the means for feed- .ing the :sheet paper thereinto is novel, so that dthe entire working of the machine is automatic l and eliminates the manual handling of the envelopesfor the stuffing or filling of the same.

Afurther object "of the invention is the provision of a machine of this character, wherein the envolepes after their filling or stuffing are ejected automatically from the machine for the itsealing operation, the ejecting mechanism being 0 of novel formand istimed for operation with'the mechanism for filling or stuffing of the envelopes ina single operation of the machine. A still further :object of the invention is the provision of amachine of this characten'which .is comparatively simple in construction, thor- 1 'oughlyreliable .and eflicient in operation, auto- I.matic in its working, enabling the filling of the envelopes with dispatch, and "inexpensive to manufacture and install. 7

With these and other objects in View the invention consists in the features of construction, combination-and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings which disclose the preferrediembodiment" of the invention and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended:

In the accompanying drawingsr Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine constructed in accordance with the invention, thecasing of said machine being partly broken away.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the machine. Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional elevation thereof.

Figure 4 is a front view of the envelope magazine showing the gauges thereon.

Figure 5 is an elevation of the lever control l: 55 1 l for the envelope opener finger;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary front view thereof. Figure 7 is a top plan view of the same. Figure 8 is an elevation of the lever control for the folded sheet'guides.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary top plan view there- 5 of.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary front view of the ejector for the stuffed or filled envelopes.

Figure 11 is a side elevation of the lever control for the ejector.

Figure 12 is a fragmentary'top plan showing the opener finger in opening position with relation to an envelope. 9

Figure 13 is a similar view with the folded sheet guides advanced into the envelope for'the stufiing of the same.

Figure 14 is a similarview with the ejector in ejecting position with relation to the envelope. 5 Figure 15 is a similar view with the ejector moved to delivery position.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the drawings. 7

Referring to the drawings in detail the machine comprises a base Iii on which is mounted a body or casing H, which may be made from metal or any suitable material and upon the top 12 of'this body or casinga slidable'folded sheet carrier 13, the latter being designedto work in a suitable guideway in said top and beneath a folded sheet magazine M, which rises ver- 'tically from the top l2 of the body or casing. The

magazine M at its delivery mouth 55 for a folded sheet le carries an adjustable gauge l1 for controlling the delivery of the single folded sheet.

from .said magazine onto the carrier I3 which is designed to slide forward and backward in its movements on the top l2 of the body or casing.

At the front of the body'orcasing H is an envelope magazine l8 to accommodate a stack of envelopes l9 therein and the uppermost one being flush with the top I2 of the casing or body H for the stufiing or filling of such envelope in a manner presently described.

Arranged on the base i0 within the body or casing II at each end thereof is a bearing 223, having supported therein a horizontal shaft 2| .carrying a. plurality of swinging levers 22, 23, .24 and 25, while connected with the lever 22 at its upper end by a pivot 26 is a link 2'5, the latter being pivoted at 28 to the depending lug 29 on the carrier [3, and through the coupling 30 this lever is operated from a crank 3| of a ro-. tating shaft 32 suitably journaled at opposite ends of the body: or casing.

The shaft 32 is fitted with a worm gear 33 meshing with a worm screw or pinion 3-5 formed on a counter driven shaft 35 journaled in a depending hanger 36 which is within the body or casing H and this shaft 35 carries a belt wheel 3? over which is trained an endless driving belt 38, the same being also trained over a driving pulley 39 mounted on the power shaft 40 of a power motor II, which in this instance is an electric motor of any standard type constituting the power unit for the machine. This motor is controlled in any desirable manner.

The lever 23 has pivoted at 42 to its upper end a link 43 which carries a swinging terminal eye Mi having engaged therein the actuator arm 45 of a rocking frame 46 pivoted in bearings 41 on the body or casing H and this frame constitutes a yoke for an envelope opener finger 48 to engage in the open flap end 49 of the envelope l9 as is shown in Figures 12, 13, 14 and 15 of the drawings when the machine is in operation for fully opening said envelope for the filling or stufiing thereof as will be presently described.

On opposite sides of the envelope magazine is next to the casing or body I l are bearings 58 in which are vertically disposed turning stems El, these at their upper ends are attached folded sheet guides 52 which are adapted to swing into and out of the envelope if] when the latter has been opened up by the opener finger 43 hereinbefore referred to. The lower ends of the stems 55 have arms 53, each through the medium of the hinged jointed connection 54 is controlled by an actuator arm 55, having the connection 56 with the upper end of the lever 24 which is operated in a manner presently described.

The'envelope magazine l8 below the bottom 5'! thereof and adjacent its front has arranged therewith on opposite sides bearings 58 in which .is pivoted a swinging frame 59 forming a yoke for an envelope ejector 69, and one end of the yoke carries an arm 6|, the latter being engaged with a hinged terminal eye 62 of an actuator link 63 which is pivoted at 64 with the upper end of the lever 25 which is operated in a manner presently described.

Within the envelope magazine It is an elevator 64 provided with an elevator stem 65, slidably fitted in upper and lower guides 66 and .67, respectively, these being formed on a guide frame 68 fixed to and depending from the bottom 51 of said magazine. The stem is acted upon by a spring 69 which urges the same in an upward direction to position the uppermost envelope is within the magazine 18 in workable position. Operable upon the stem 65 is a grab jaw TE] which is pivoted at H to a depressible arm 12, the same being pivoted at 13 to a rocker "i4 journaled at 15 on a bearing 16 within the body or casing l l. The jaw I0 is engageable with a releasing lug or screw 11 on the frame 68 and when engaged therewith frees the stem 65, but when disengaged from this lug or screw it grabs the stem under the action of a tensioning spring l8 connected with the jaw and arm 12.

The arm 72 carries a roller 19 which coacts with a cam 3t on the shaft 32 that operates to depress said arm and on downward movement the jaw 'ifl grabs stem 65 and lowers it there- 'with for the automatic lowering of the elevator 64 and this action takes place when a filled or stuffed envelope i9 is being ejected from the machine as the filled envelope is then engaged. by the sheet guides 52 so that said envelope is slipped therefrom by the ejector for the delivery of such envelope from the machine.

The shaft 32 carries a cam 8| which coacts with a roller 82 on the lever 23, so that the latter will be operated for the working of the opener finger 48 at the proper interval during the operation of the machine.

This shaft 32 also carries a cam 83 which coacts with a roller 84 on the lever 24 so that the folded sheet guides 52 will be actuated at the proper time in the working of the machine.

This shaft 32 is further provided with a cam 85 coacting with a roller 86 on the lever 25 so the ejector 6! will be actuated at the proper time in the operation of the machine.

On the envelope magazine l8 at its inner side opposite the front is arranged a sealing fiap holder 81, which is designed to engage the flap 88 of the envelope l9 when being positioned for the filling or stuffing thereof.

Hinged to the front of the folded sheet magazine I 4 is a spring tensioned folded sheet latch or abutment device 89, so that when folded sheet carrier !3 enters an envelope to be filled or stuffed by way of the guides 52 a folded sheet Sis conveyed forward from folded sheet magazine, 14 past the latch or abutment 89 and upon return of the carrier IS the folded sheet is deposited upon said carrier ready, for the next cycle of operations of the machine. ment 89 prevents the advanced folded sheet l6 by the carrier [3 from following it back for another folded sheet.

The folded sheet carrier l3 serves as a bottom for the folded sheet magazine I4 when= under the same and the upper surface of this carrier is provided with a highly frictional face 63 so that when the said carrier moves the lowermost folded sheet within the magazine I4 will be carried from the latter and advanced to the envelope [9 to be filled or stuffed.

The levers 22, 23, 24 and 25 are held in contact with their cams in any suitable manner,

preferably through the action of tensioning springs (not shown) these being mounted in any well known way within the machine.

It is of course understood that the cams acting upon the levers are set for timing in the successive operations of the machine for the feeding of folded sheets singly to the envelopes to be filled or stuffed and the insertions of the sheets therein and the ejection of the filled or stuffed envelopes from the machine.

In Figure 12 of the drawings the opener finger 48 has entered the envelope to be stuffed or filled, while in Figure 13 the guides 52 have been introduced into said envelope [9, then in Figure 14 the envelope has been filled with the folded sheet l6 and the filled envelope is being ejected from the machine and in Figure IS the ejectoriiil has delivered the said filled or stuffed envelope from the machine for undergoing the sealing operation.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the kind described, a supyoke on the support and operated by another of This latch or abutthe levers, a forwardly inclined opener finger on the yoke to engage in and open the uppermost envelope, laterally swinging sheet guides at opposite sides of the guideway and operated by another of the levers to swing into the envelope opened by said finger for directing an oncoming sheet into said envelope, a swinging irame opposite the first-named frame, and operated by another of the levers, a rearwardly directed downwardly curved envelope ejector on the lastnamed frame, hinged-jointed connections between the frames and guides, and the said levers, and means for actuating the levers in timed relation to each other.

2. In a machine of the kind described, a casing, a slidable sheet carrier thereon, a sheet magazine in the path of the carrier, a gauge at the sheet magazine to control delivery of single sheets to the carrier, a plurality of levers in the casing, a vertically swinging frame operated by one lever, an envelope opening finger on the frame, opposed sheet guides pivoted for lateral swinging movement into and out of an open envelope and arranged at opposite sides of the guideway to guide an oncoming sheet into rier, a gauge at the sheet magazine to control delivery of single sheets from the carrier, a

vertically swinging means for opening an envelope, opposed laterally swinging means for entering the envelope when opened and guiding an oncoming sheet thereinto, and means for discharging the envelope when containing the sheet, the carrier and respective means being successively controlled.

envelope, a sheet feeder movable toward the envelope when opened, means movably mounted to receive opposite edges of a sheet and direct it into the open envelope to guide said sheet thereinto, and means ejecting the envelope after" receiving the sheet.

6. The combination of means for opening an envelope, a sheet feeder movable toward the envelope opened by said means, means movably mounted to receive opposite edges of a sheet and direct it into the open envelope to guide said sheet thereinto, means for ejecting the envelope after receiving the sheet, and means for operat-' mounted to receive opposite edgesof a sheet and guide the same into the open envelope, means for ejecting the envelope. when receiving the sheet, means for operating the respective means and feeder in their order, means for delivering envelopes to the opening means, and means for delivering sheets to the sheet feeder.

HORACE C. BAKER. 

